CHICAGO – Today at the Keating Sports Center, the host Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks lost to the Mount Mary University basketball team by a score of 71-56. The Blue Angels (1-3) trailed the Scarlet Hawks (0-1) by as much as 17 in the first half, but scored 31 points in the third quarter on their way to a 15-point victory.

Erica Williams (Jr./Bloomington, Ill.) notched her second double-double of the season against Illinois Tech. Williams scored 6 points in the first half on her way to 24 total points and 11 rebounds. The junior forward hit 6-of-7 from the free throw line and went 9-of-14 from the field.

Three guard for the Blue Angels also scored double-digits in scoring. Nyasia Hardy (Fr./Fort Worth, Ind.) hit 4-of-6 from the field on her way to ten points. The young guard was also one of the team leaders in steals with three.

Megan Johnson (Jr./Waukesha, Wis.) and Rae Grubbs (Sr./Covington, Ind.) each helped MMU from outside the 3-point line. Both Blue Angels hit at least three 3-pointers in the game. Johnson hit a perfect 2-of-2 from the charity stripe on her way to 14 points. Grubbs added 11 points after going 3-of-9 from outside.

On the defensive end, Zyah Burnett (Jr./Indianapolis, Ind.) led MMU with four blocks and three steals.

The Blue Angels struggled early on in the contest hitting 18 percent from the field an 11 percent from outside in the first quarter. The Scarlet Hawks capitalized by hitting 5-of-16 from the field and winning the rebounding battle in the first 13 to 8.

After taking a 15-9 lead after the first, the Scarlet Hawks continued their lead as they hit 50 percent from the field in the second. Although the Blue Angels forced the opposition into six turnovers in the frame, Illinois Tech took a 32-18 lead going into halftime.

MMU turned the table completely in the third quarter hitting 12-of-18 from the field. The Blue Angels scored a game high 31 points and limited the opposition to nine points as they took the lead. Megan Johnson went off hitting 3-of-4 from outside on her way to nine third quarter points. As a unit, the Blue Angels hit 5-of-8 from outside the three-point line in the third and finished the frame ahead of Illinois Tech 49-41.

MMU held onto the lead throughout the fourth quarter. The Scarlet Hawks battled and cut the 10-point lead back down to two points with three minutes left in the game. The Blue Angels then held Illinois Tech to just two points in the final three minutes as they went on to win the contest 71-56. MMU hit 6-of-9 from the free throw line as a team to take their first victory of the season.

The Blue Angels return to action Wed. Nov. 20 at the Bloechl Center. The Marian University Sabres (0-2) will take on the Blue Angels at 7:00 pm on MMU's campus next Wednesday. Live stats and video will be available at MtMaryAthletics.com.